Misunderstandings
by marakamiya
Summary: Another day, another drama. PG13 for Language and such. You know, the basics. Tai's going to learn a brutal lesson about taking the people he loves for granted.
1. How It Began

-sigh- Another drama. But what can you do? They're easy to write. Also, I'll try to have the second chapter of "Longer, Wronger and Unadulterated" up by Monday.  
For those who want to know ages, perhaps around the 16/17 area.  
You know the basics: I don't own nothin'.

**Misunderstandings  
**Chapter 1: How it Began

It was a terrible misunderstanding. Tai and Sora would never do anything to harm one another or any of their friends. Sora blamed him for being bull-headed and dangerously impulsive. Tai complained that Sora was worrying way too much. The last time they had a fight on as large of a scale as this one was when they wandered through the pyramid, Tai wrongfully confusing immortality for stupidity and Sora trying desperately to bring him back to his senses. Tai only realized his mistake when he almost lost her. No one had ever seen him cry as much as he did at that moment. They were at Tai's apartment, discussing how to approach the new threat. Tai was confident of their abilities and pressed that they would have it taken care of in a matter of days. However, having already seen the threat at its greatest possible potential, the others preferred to be wary. Sora's nature would not allow them to plunge into a deadly situation if she did not have the control over their safety and their lives. Sora's love for Tai increased the urge to protect, and like a son who rebels his mother, Tai was doing just that; and Sora didn't like it one bit. The others had some pleasure in watching the two quarrel, as some of their bickers were quite entertaining. But Sora had no control over Tai and Tai had no concern for Sora's concern. When neither had the same outlook, their disagreements extended far into the realms of total separation. What started as a series of opinionated disagreements evolved into a series of cheap shots at one another. Tai hoped to get her to quiet down if he could just hit her in the right spot, but every word he said to her caused her more and more anger. He got her so upset and embittered that she finally had enough and stormed out, but not before slapping him in the face while screaming a swear. Tai tried not to look shocked, but the others knew how deeply he was buried in his own hole. It was decided that the meeting should adjourn. They left Tai standing alone in the living room still feeling the sting.

"That son of a bitch!" Sora huffed as she walked out of the building. "Ah hell!" she muttered to herself.

She had no ride home, and she sure as hell wasn't going to go back inside. She then noticed Tai's motorcycle parked in its space, the helmet sitting on the seat. She didn't care at that point. She climbed on and secured the helmet on her head. She had ridden his motorcycle hundreds of times before. She knew well how to work it and ride it. With a screech, she quickly sped off. Tai stood on the balcony and watched her leave. He didn't seem to care that she stole it. He looked hard down at her. He had a feeling of anger and a feeling of foreboding, that he had just caused something. But it was clouded over.

Sora hoped that the ride home would refresh her. But she could not get out of her mind the mean, stupid things Tai had said to her, and the mean, stupid things she said in her anger. Thinking these terrible things, she began to go faster and faster, switching from third gear to fourth, riding faster and faster down the street, not realizing how dangerous she had become. Thoughts darted through her head. Suddenly, a car appeared in the four-way intersection.

**_Shit!_** her mind screamed. She could not avoid the car, but she could not stop. She turned sharply, the wheels screeching fiercely on the street. It wasn't enough to slow her. The rear wheel hit the front wheel of the car. The front of the bike continued forward. Sora was thrown from the bike, clearing the hood of the car. She hit the asphalt and tumbled and finally slid to a halt. The driver was in shock and could do nothing. Sora laid still for a moment, then slowly turned over on her side, groaning. She could barely feel her body. Suddenly, a bright light appeared in front of her. It was not Heaven, but the headlights of a delivery truck heading blindly toward her.

-

Sirens were screaming all around. The entire block had shut down. People gathered along the edges. The police warned them not to cross the yellow tape. Sora's lifeless body lay in the middle of the street, surrounded by a puddle of blood. The truck had already backed away to give the paramedics room to work. The car remained where it was last; the motorcycle was wrapped around the front end.

"Clear," a paramedic ordered. Sora's body jumped at the shock. The hand-held monitor still read a flat. It seemed hopeless that she would live. But there was still that possibility.

"Again," he said. Her body again jumped. The monitor began to beep slowly. She moved suddenly. Blood spurted out of her mouth as she coughed.

"She has a pulse."

"Good. Let's load her up."

They carefully placed the board under her and lifted her onto the stretcher. The ride to the hospital was hectic. Each paramedic called out to each other.

"She's hemorrhaging in the chest!"

"Severe head trama!"

"Limbs are either broken or fractured!"

Suddenly, the monitor screamed again.

"She's flat lining!"

The paramedics went into a huge scramble. One held an oxygen mask over her mouth and nose. Another pushed on her chest. One held a package of fluid that was connected to her arm. Another prepared the paddles to give her a shock. Each repeated their responsibilities, only to retire to wait for the destination that was not reached.

-

"Hello," Mrs. Kamiya said into the phone. "Oh hello," she answered. "Are you all right?" she asked at the tone ofthe voice. There was a brief pause as she listened. "Oh dear," she muttered in surprise, a sudden chill ran through her body. "I…I'm so sorry. Yes, I'll tell him," she said before she hung up. She stared down at the phone that she had just replaced, unsure of how to feel or what to even say. She knew that someone had to tell him, even though it was going to be the hardest thing to do. She finally gathered up enough courage and slowly made her way to the bedroom. She gently tapped the door a few times.

"Tai, dear," she quietly called, peeking inside.

"What?" Tai grumbled, not looking away from his video game.

_Good. He's sitting down_ she thought to herself. She would have included Kari, if she had been at the apartment at the time. "Tai, I have some news, some terrible news," she said softly as she stepped inside. Tai still didn't look up at her. "You see… there's been… an accident."

Tai looked up at her in question. "Is it… Kari?" Tai asked.

"No. It's not Kari," she said quickly. She took a deep breath. "Sora took your bike and was riding too fast. She hit a car and was then hit by a truck." Tai's heart suddenly dropped. "Sora died on the way to the hospital," she finished solemnly. Tai's heart dropped down to his feet and crashed through the floor. The video game slipped out of his hands. He had a look of sheer terror in his eyes.

"No…" he choked. "No! Y…you're bull shittin' me!"

"Tai, I know it's hard to grasp…" she answered.

"No! It's all part of a plan!" he stuttered. He quickly stood to his feet. "It's a plan to make me feel bad for saying those things to her! She's just trying to get back at me!" Tears were choking his eyes, no matter how much he tried to deny it.

"I wish it was that way," she said sadly.

"Then I want to see her," Tai demanded.

-

They walked down the long hallway. Tai tried so hard not to believe everything around him. He looked into the rooms at the mangled and maimed patients, at the patients on respirators and on life support. The halls were sterile, but still had the stains and odors of death in the walls. If this was a prank, then it was a god awful one. Mrs. Takenouchi stood outside one of the rooms. She had a blank stare. She looked tired and worn; her face was red and stained with tears. Tai's heart pounded harder at the sight of her.

"I don't think you should see her," she mumbled. "I wish that I had never seen her."

She looked up into his eyes. He too made eye contact and maintained it for a moment, then turned and stepped into the room. She gave a sigh. He took heavy steps, one by one, toward the concealed object on the stretcher. Each breath grew heavier and heavier. Tears glazed his eyes. He reached a shaky hand out. His arm was extremely heavy. His fingers numbly latched onto the white and red-spotted sheet. He prayed to God, with all of his might, that there was nothing under that sheet. His entire body shook. With a grunt, he threw the sheet away.

"No!" he whimpered and collapsed to his knees. He held his head in his hands, sobbing heavily. "No! This can't be!" he cried. "You can't die yet! I haven't even apologized to you! You can't die!"

His sobs could be heard from the hallway. His mother looked away, a look of regret in her face. He slowly climbed to his feet again. He was sick to his stomach at the sight of Sora. Dried blood stained her pale cheeks. Her chest was still red in the area where she bled internally. Deep gashes were in her arms; some of the blood had not yet dried. Blood was crusted at the corners of her mouth. And yet, through all of this mess, she still seemed peaceful. She was lost in a dream, while Tai was lost in a nightmare. Neither would be able to wake up. Tai's legs began to give out again. He leaned on the stretcher to support himself.

"This is… this is all my fault," Tai sobbed. His tears dripped from his nose, splashing on Sora's reddened skin. "I should have never said those things to her. I should have never… I killed her. I killed her!" The mothers silently watched from the door. Tai held his head in his hand, trying to control himself. "You stupid bitch," he muttered. "If only you knew how sorry I am."

-

Tai sat in his room. Soft light poured through the window. It was an absolutely beautiful day outside. He would have gone out to play soccer with all his friends. But he couldn't go out to play today. Besides, Sora wouldn't be there, so there was no point. He had someplace important to go anyway. He took his time getting ready; he still wasn't completely dressed. He was lost in thought as he sat on the bed. That time he rescued Sora from the pyramid was a very happy reunion. He had felt so released once he was able to hold her hand. That first time he said "I love you" to her was the greatest feeling he ever had. It was even better when she answered in the same fashion. And then there was the first night they spent together: connected in body and soul. Tears choked his eyes and flowed over. He remembered how beautiful she always was and then remembered how messed up he made her.

"Sora. Why did you die?" he asked. "Were you trying to make a point or something?"

"I would have never done it that way," she answered.

"This is all my fault," Tai confessed. "If I hadn't said those things to you, then you would have never gotten so mad and left. And if you had never left, then you'd still be alive."

"I know," she added, "this is partly my fault too. I was stupid to steal your bike."

Tai stood up and stood in front of her. "What will we do now?" he asked.

"We'll just have to keep going," she answered.

"Will I ever see you again?"

"Of course you will," she answered with a smile. She tenderly stroked his cheek. "I'll be around. Don't you worry."

"Okay," he said, taking her hand in his then tenderly kissed it.

"You should hurry," she said softly. "I expect to see you there on time. And if you miss it, you may regret it for the rest of your life."

"I'm already regretting a lot of things."

"Then don't make this one of them."

They looked deeply into each other's eyes for a moment, then slowly parted. Tai swung the black jacket over his shoulder and left the room, closing the door behind him. She stood in the middle of the sunlit room and watched him leave.

"I'll never leave you like that again," she whispered. "I'll never leave you again."

* * *

Well, there's the beginning. For those of you who may be confused, Tai's taking ahead trip. His insanity begins next chapter. And don't worry. There'll be a happy ending...perhaps.(so evil)Enjoy. 


	2. Forgetting, But Not Forgotten

Thanks for the reviews and all. Here's the next chapter. The head trip begins!  
The character Katie belongs to my sister. I just use her as comedy relief to give Matt something else to worry about besides Jun. Everyone else doesn't belong to me or anyone I know.

**Misunderstandings  
**Chapter 2: Forgetting, But Not Forgotten

_"I'll never leave you again."_

Tai suddenly sat up. He remembered hearing those words several weeks ago. He looked down from the top of the bunk around the dark room. She was sitting in his computer chair at his desk, looking up at him. They stared at each other for a moment.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said.

"Oh," she replied. They sat and stared at one another again.

"I'll just be going back to sleep," Tai stuttered.

He laid down, turning his back to her, feeling her watchful eyes on him. He pulled the sheets higher up to his head. He wished that she wouldn't watch him at night. Even in the past, it was creepy. The blood was slowly being washed from his mind, but it wasn't fast enough. The more days that passed by, the stronger the feeling of guilt grew. It was the constant nagging presence he felt that he carried out into the world. He couldn't avoid it and he couldn't escape it. At home, she was always following him, looking over his shoulder. At school, the attitude of his classmates toward him reminded him. His friends treated him differently. He knew that they were treating him as if he were fragile and breakable. It upset him, but he couldn't say anything.

The week after the accident, he had been walking in the hall at school, by then everyone knew. They whispered to one another as he walked by, thinking that he couldn't hear them, but he heard every word. _Did you hear what happened? Poor guy. Yeah. They were really an item. Did you hear how it happened? Yeah. He killed his own girlfriend_. But he just couldn't say anything. There was nothing to say. He didn't know what to think because he didn't know what was real anymore.

Now that some time had passed, the talking began to dwindle, but his feelings remained the same. Activity continued as normal in the cafeteria. He still stared at his food while he ate. He was always in need of something to distract his thoughts. Even if it was for a few minutes it would be relief for him. Matt saw him sit alone picking at the mediocre excuse for nutrition. He put on a pleasant smile and walked over to the table.

"Hey buddy," he said pleasantly.

"Hey," Tai muttered, not looking up from his activity. Matt sat in the seat in front of Tai, looking across the table. He studied Tai for a moment.

"So," he finally said. "How's it going?"

Tai suddenly stopped his spork. He moved his eyes up at him. Matt smiled and chuckled nervously.

"Yamato!" Katie sang out. Matt's heart skipped a beat. He was still afraid of her, despite being her boyfriend. Still better than Jun was his motto. "Mind if I sit with you guys?" she asked sweetly.

"Uh… sure," Matt chuckled nervously. She sat down next to her sweetheart. He blushed a lot. Tai watched them with a blank stare, the bond that they had developed over the past years: it was unmistakable that they were in love, even though Matt didn't want to admit it. He looked back down at his tray.

"How's it going?" Katie asked with a smile. Matt nudged her arm to shut her up. "Oh, Matt," Katie smiled naughtily.

"That wasn't what I meant," he grunted under his breath.

"Fine," Tai said. Matt and Katie looked at him. "You asked 'how's it going' and I answered 'fine'."

"Oh, that's good," Matt laughed rubbing his neck. There was an uneasy silence between the three. Tai stared at the two with no expression. Matt sat and stared at Tai nervously. Katie sat and smiled cheerfully with no thought running through her blonde head, the wind whistling.

"Listen, I gotta go," Tai finally spoke up. "I got some things to do." He stood up and pushed the chair back in.

"Okay, man. See you later," Matt said. They watched him leave the cafeteria at a slow pace.

"Yamato?" Katie asked. "Does Tai seem to be acting different as of late?"

"How so?" Matt asked.

"It's like he's carrying a burden. You could see it in his eyes. A buried pain," she explained.

"I know," Matt sighed. "He hasn't been the same since Sora died that night."

xxxxxxxxxx

Tai entered his room and looked around. He noticed Sora lying asleep on Kari's bed. He had a sudden urge inside.

xxxxxxxxxx

"He has self inflicted guilt," Matt explained. "He blames himself for her death."

xxxxxxxxxx

He sat by her side, looking down at her. He touched the bottom button of her blouse. Images of the past flashed through his mind as each button came undone. He was almost done, on the top button when suddenly his name was called from the other room. He jumped suddenly, thinking he was caught. Sora had suddenly disappeared. He sat up, staring at where she had been.

"Tai! Are you home?" his mother called.

xxxxxxxxxx

Matt and Katie sat together in the shade of a tree in the park. "I don't blame him," Matt muttered in a depressed tone. "Things could have turned out so much different had he not taken her for granted."

xxxxxxxxxx(later)

Tai stood motionless, his eyes fixed on the gray stone. The grass had grown back nicely. It had been torn up last month. A small garden was planted with it. He squatted down and leaned forward to get a better look. Her name was there, but he didn't know where she was. She was always at the apartment when she should have been there. He was getting confused again. Could this place possibly be real? What brings him back if there is nothing there? He looked around, trying to recreate the people who stood around him. Why were they crying and so sad if there was nothing there? What was in that shinny box? He remembered looking in it and seeing her lying there, asleep. But it couldn't have been her. She was with him in his room while he was dressing to go there. He held his head in his hands. It wasn't making any sense to him. Something was out of place, but he couldn't figure out what it was. He stood back up, picked up his backpack, and walked away.

xxxxxxxxxx

"Saving the day… But we don't get paid… But hey that's okay…" Davis sang as he walked down the street. "Because we are… kick ass!" Tai slowly walked in his direction. "Hey Tai!" Davis greeted enthusiastically. "?Que… pasa?" Davis mumbled as Tai passed him without glance or acknowledgment. "Huh?" Davis huffed, confused.

He continued on, thinking about what he just saw. Tai had totally ignored him. It almost hurt. He joined Yolei and Cody at Cody's house for a homework session. He told them about what happened, speaking dramatically about how he was so rudely ignored.

"Come on Davis," Yolei scolded him. "Give him a break. It's been a tough month for him."

"But he doesn't have to take it out on us. And besides, we should be focusing on what's ahead. Need I remind you of the threat."

Meanwhile, Cody sat to the side and listened, pretending to read in his textbook; pretending that nothing was wrong.

"I didn't want to think this," he heard Davis say, "but maybe this whole thing really is Tai's fault." He suddenly heard a quick stinging slap sound. He looked over at Davis and Yolei in surprise. He saw Davis rubbing a red spot on his cheek. Yolei balled her trembling hand into a fist.

"Don't you dare say that!" she screamed angrily, holding back tears. "It was an accident! You can't control accidents!"

"But Tai's the one who hurt her!" Davis shouted back in defense.

"It doesn't matter anymore!" Yolei finished. Cody looked back to his notebook.

"Sora," he thought to himself. "Of all the times to die, why now?"

xxxxxxxxxxx

Tai opened the door to his apartment.

"Hey Tai. You hungry?" Sora asked.

"Nah," Tai answered in a monotonous voice. He walked by the kitchen and into his room. He tossed his backpack onto Kari's bed, pulled out his textbook and sat down at the desk.

"Homework?" Sora inquired, looking over his shoulder.

"Sucks," Tai answered.

"It sure does," she groaned. She was interrupted when Kari rushed into the room.

"Hi Tai!" she greeted.

"Hi Kari," he muttered.

"Bye Tai," Kari said as she began to rush out.

"Hey!" Tai shouted after her. "Where are you going in such a hurry?"

"TK's taking me on a date," she said. "Mom knows I'm going out, but she doesn't know that it's a date. So don't tell," she finished sternly.

"Fine," Tai grumbled. Sora watched her leave in excitement.

"That's so cute," she said. "You know, I'll bet they'll end up just like us."

Tai gasped when he heard her say it. Suddenly, all the blood that had washed out of his mind returned. _Just like us_? Would Kari lie on a stretcher, covered with blood? Would their mother sit by her casket and cry? Would the Digidestined gather in mourning over a lost sister, their sorrowful cries rising ever higher? Would TK have to feel the same guilt and pain and self-hatred that Tai felt all the time? It was too much to take anymore. When it could affect anyone else, especially the people he had left in his life, it was too much to comprehend. He stood up quickly, slamming his palms on the desk.

"Tai? What's wrong?" Sora asked. Tai hustled toward the door. "Where are you going?" she asked in distress.

"I have to go do something," Tai replied.

"But Tai…" Sora called after him, but he had already left. "Did I say something wrong?"

* * *

And there's chapter 2! Hopefully it wasn't too confusing or anything like that and hopefully it explained some stuff for those who had questions about thefirst chapter. More to come, so keep an eye out.  
And also forgive me, but I had to use a series of "x's" to divide up the sections. I don't know what's wrong with the edit thing. 


	3. Seeking Advice

Again, thanks to all who hath reviewed. Thanks for the support and the patience and for actually taking the time to read it. I've been real busy and extra insane now that college graduation is coming up, but I'm trying with all my might to update as soon as possible. The way I like to write my stories is to have a developing plot where answers are revealed as the story progresses. This chapter will reveal more of what's going on in Tai's head and how it effects the others. And also a note of good news: don't worry about Katie anymore. She was just a one scene character.  
All right then. Let's continue. I own nothing but my imagination.

**Misunderstandings  
**Chapter 3: Seeking Advice

Ken sat on the couch in front of the coffee table, his notebook and textbook cluttered the surface. His concentration was broken from frantic knocking on the front door.

"Hang on a second!" he shouted in annoyance as the knocking continued. "Tai? What are you doing here?" he asked when he finally opened the door.

"I need to talk to you about something," Tai explained. "You're the only one who can help me."

They went into Ken's room so that no one could hear the conversation. Tai sat on the edge of the bed while Ken reclined in the computer chair.

"When your brother died," Tai began, "how did that affect you?"

"I was corrupted by darkness and tried to conquer the Digital World," Ken answered in an obvious tone of voice.

"Yeah, but did he ever haunt you? Did his memory follow you everywhere?"

"Only in my dreams… and my nightmares. Why are you asking me these things?"

"I know that Sora's gone," Tai quickly began his story, "but I still see her everyday. I hate going home because she's always there. She never leaves. And no one else notices her. She's just… there. At first, I thought that what happened didn't really happen. I've visited her grave to tell myself that she's dead, but she's still there. I don't know what's real anymore: Sora, or Sora's grave."

"That's spooky," Ken said. "Her death was an accident, wasn't it?"

"It wasn't an accident," Tai said. "It was my fault. Her dying was my punishment."

"That must be it!" Ken sat up. "You must have put so much of the guilt and blame on yourself that your mind projects her into your environment: a figment of your imagination. The reason no one can notice her is because she is in your mind, like an imaginary friend."

Tai buried his face in his hands to hide his tears. "You heard the horrible, hurtful things I said to her that night!" he cried. "Things I didn't even mean! Things that she took to heart! Things I can't ever take back! I hurt her! I killed her!"

"What do you want me to do about it?" Ken asked calmly.

"Nothing," Tai sobbed, wiping the tears from his eyes. "There's nothing you can do. I only came to you… because I figured that you would understand exactly how I feel."

"Doesn't exactly bring up pleasant memories," Ken grumbled. "But there's something I don't understand. You and Sora were in love. If you love her so much, why would you want her to go away so badly?"

Tai gave a slight smile. "I want her to go to Heaven… where she belongs."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ken and Tai stood at the front door.

"Listen, Ken," Tai said. "I'm sorry I barged in here and dumped all this baggage on you."

"Hey, it's no problem," Ken assured him. "Friends are always there for each other."

Tai gave a chuckle. "You know, after all that's happened, you've turned out to be a really great guy. Thanks for being a friend."

"Hey," Ken forced a laugh. "I should thank you guys. You brought me back to my family and gave me friends." There was a slight silence. "If it's any help, you should try to talk to her, try to come to some kind of end."

"I'll try it. Thanks," Tai said. He turned to walk away. "Good night."

"Good night," Ken replied and closed the door. He leaned against it and silently stared at his feet.

That night hadn't gotten any better for Tai either. He lay awake in his bed with the sheets pulled up to his head. He thought about the conversation with Ken over and over. As he thought about it more, he wondered if it was really what he wanted: for Sora to leave him. He peered out from the sheets to the foot of his bed. Sora sat there at his feet and watched him. He squeezed his eyes shut, his chest tingled and spread through his body. That uncomfortable feeling was becoming too much to bear anymore. He had to talk to her. He sat up and faced her, his chest heavy.

"Sora… I…" he whispered as not to disturb Kari below him.

"Yeah?" Sora asked. She leaned forward intently. Tai stared at her for a moment. He just couldn't do it. She seemed so excited to be with him and she seemed so happy.

"Nothing," he finally muttered, looking away.

Sora gave a disappointed sigh. She was so close to having a conversation with him. He seemed so sad and distant all the time. She then got an idea: something that always brought them close together. She crawled in front of him and put her lips on his. Tai felt no surprise from this. She always used to play games like this. She pushed forward, still kissing him, and pushed him down onto his back. She straddled him and ran her fingers over his chest. She could feel his breathing quicken and she sensed his body heat rise. She lifted her lips away and they gazed into each other's eyes.

"Just relax," she whispered softly. She gently took his hand and held it to her hip. She began to kiss him again and she guided his hand higher over her belly, under her shirt and up. Tai's head was feather light. Everything felt so good: his tingling body, her silky skin, but then it hit him. He remembered what this game would become. He broke the kiss and pulled his hand away from her.

"Sora, stop it. Please," he gasped as he sat up.

Sora looked at him with regret. "I'm sorry if I distressed you," she said regretfully. "I'll leave you alone for the rest of the night." Her body began to fade, becoming transparent.

"Sora, wait…" Tai called in remorse, but she had disappeared. He sat alone in the dark. He missed his chance, in more ways than one.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kari finally arrived to class. Ken had been waiting outside of her classroom since early morning. She greeted him with a bright cheery smile.

"Could I talk to you in private?" he asked her.

"Sure," she began as he led her around the corner. "So what's going on?" she asked. "Are you trying to ask Yolei to go out with you, but you need advice?"

"No! It's not that!" Ken asserted. "At least not yet," he then muttered under his breath. "Has anything strange occurred at your house?"

"Besides Tai talking in his sleep, no," she said.

"Nothing?"

"Nothing."

"And Sora's father, Mr. Takenouchi: he makes myths and the paranormala hobby, right?"

"Yeah. Why?"

Ken then showed a stern expression. "Sora's still in your home."

"What?" Kari gasped softly.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After school, Ken and Kari led Mr. Takenouchi to the apartment.

"Really," Kari said, putting on a convincing show. "We really think that there are ghosts here."

They couldn't let him know that it could have been his own daughter that they were looking for. They couldn't upset him in that way, so they decided to play innocent.

"We'll just test the magnetic field," he said as he pulled a strange hand held box out of his bag. The moment he turned it on, the needle in the viewing window began to jump around madly. "Wow," he said, amazed. "There's some major activity here."

Sora stood in the middle of the bedroom alone and thought about that last night. Tai was obviously uncomfortable from her presence. It was easy to see that he was slowly disintegrating. She was failing in her duty.

"Let's try in here," she heard from the hall. The door handle clicked and turned and opened up. "The disturbance is strongest in here."

"Daddy?" she choked sadly. He walked around the room, aiming the front of the box at different areas. She watched him. This was not how she wanted to meet with him again. She couldn't understand what he was searching for and why he was searching in the first place. She knew that he knew she was dead, but she knew that he couldn't know that she was there. No one knew about her. He began to walk toward her. She didn't move, too uneasy to move. He stepped in her and passed through her. A chill ran through her, feeling her form break apart to accommodate his form. A chill ran up his spine and to the back of his neck: the telltale-chill that the dead is present.

"I felt it!" he announced. "The spirit is in this room now!"

"Tai was right," Ken muttered.

"She is here," Kari added.

Sora had an uneasy feeling.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Are you sure you don't want me to investigate more?" Mr. Takenouchi asked as he finished packing.

"Thank you," Kari bowed respectfully, "but we'll be fine."

"All right then, good day."

"Good day."

Sora sat on the arm of the couch and watched them.

"I should go, too," Ken said. "Listen, Kari. Tai cannot know that we did this. He came to me and entrusted me with this."

Sora shivered.

"It's just really creepy to know that Sora's still here," Kari said sadly.

"I know," Ken said, looking around. "No wonder Tai wants her to go."

Sora gasped in shock. Something odd began to happen. She began to cry.

"That jerk," she sobbed.

* * *

I'm so tired right now. 


	4. Confront

Eesh. I hope this chapter doesn't get too long. I'm gonna attempt to add in the originally intended battle against the threat, so bear with me please. Basically, the real conflict happens between Tai and Sora, but I had said that there was a looming threat and by god I better follow through! Also, this could get a bit serious.

Like always, I don't own nothin' but my mind... and sometimes I wonder if I even have control of that.

**Misunderstandings  
**Chapter 4: Confront

Once Ken left, Kari slowly crept up to the bedroom door. She carefully peeked inside. The room looked the same as it had always been, even before the accident. Only, knowing that Sora had been watching made the room feel more uneasing. She took a breath and stepped inside.

"Sora," she squeaked out nervously. "If you can hear me, I just want to say I'm sorry that you're stuck here. We really miss you. It's not the same without you." She sighed sadly. "Tai's not the same without you. He's gotten really weird. He's been really depressed. I know he regrets everything that happened, but…"

She suddenly gasped. Her skin stung as a sudden cold settled into the room. Her breath floated in front of her face.

"Sora?" she stuttered. "Are you sad?" The air was still. "Are you angry?" she shuddered. She gasped as a chill jumped up her spine and spread through her body. She fearfully turned to look behind her: where she could sense the sensation. The door had swung wide open.

Meanwhile, Tai sulked through the park, thinking about that last night. He had no idea what to do. He didn't want to let Sora go, but he couldn't handle her presence any longer. He felt discomfort when she used to bring him comfort. She reminded him of his sadness when she used to bring him pure happiness. When she came on to him that last night, he felt awkward and uneasy when they used to par-take in "merriment" regularly.

He looked over at the open field, still able to see _a little five-year old Sora running and kicking a soccer ball, sprinting toward the goal. Then, like the little ass he was the little five-year old Tai slid in front of her, taking the ball from her possession and intentionally tripping her. He thought for sure that his life was going to end that day. She pounced on him and pinned his shoulders to the ground. Her blood red eyes burned in hellish fury, but then they gave way to amusement, and they laughed together_: the very first happiness that they shared. Tai couldn't hold it any longer. The thought of Sora alive while she was in truth dead brought guilty tears to his eyes. The breeze began to blow, bringing tiny blossoms down around him, as if the trees were crying with him. How depressing. The little blossoms only created a greater feeling of sorrow in Tai's torn heart.

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Kari had sat against the wall for a long time, unwilling to leave a hurting friend alone. Her skin was bitten by the cold. A strong presence surrounded her. She sat and watched the still room intently.

"Huh?" she muttered.

Something changed. On the top bunk, on Tai's bed, the edge of the mattress was dipped. An invisible pressure was being applied to it. She stood up and walked up to it, driven by either curiosity, or an unseen force. She reached out her hand to touch the air over it. As she drew closer, the air became icier, then a blinding flash.

_Her hand had changed. It was cut and bleeding, lying lifeless. She was unable to move it; a distant pain could be felt every time she tried. Her body felt distant, as if it had been detached. She felt something ooze between her eyes and across the bridge of her nose. She looked up and saw a strange, shadowy man above her. He looked panicked and frightened. She looked back to her hand and noticed a shadow and its flashing lights. The sound it made was too faint and far away to hear. Despite the pain, she reached her hand out toward the shadow, desperate to reach it. The shadow faded; all that was left was its lights. Smaller shadows ran toward her, but before they could reach her, they were gone. _

Kari gasped in shock as a sharp pain ripped through her. She grasped at her chest, panting heavily, afraid that her heart would stop. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead and tears stung her eyes.

"What other memories do you have?" she moaned, reaching her hand out again.

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Tai continued walking, bringing up later memories. He and Sora stood alone, shortly before they were to board the trolley that would carry them home.

"_I said good bye to Biyomon," she smiled, trying to hide tears of sadness. Tai gazed at her, his heart torn. There was only one thing he could do to cheer up the both of them. He stepped up to her, taking her shoulders and without explanation, pulled her into a kiss. Sora was shocked at first, but she relaxed into him. They finally found the power to pull away. _

"_I love you, with all of my heart," Tai whispered. _

"_I love you too," she answered._

Tai smiled to himself.

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_It was silent. There was no more pain. There were no more frantic thoughts. She couldn't feel the cold liquid dripping from her finger -tips anymore. She couldn't feel the choking or the gurgling in her lungs anymore. But there was one last image burned into her mind: the last thing she saw was the ceiling of some unfamiliar vehicle. And there was no more. _

Kari slowly pulled her hand away. A soft sob jumped from her throat. She sank to her knees and hid her face behind her hands. Sora looked down at Kari from the bunk, her tears undisturbed, regretful that Kari had to suffer that. "And now you know… Hikari," she whispered sadly.

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_Tai stepped into the entry and slipped off his shoes. He turned and took into his arms Sora, who also removed her shoes. They kissed wildly, tugging on each other's clothes, gradually waddling awkwardly toward the couch. Tai dipped her and fell with her onto the couch cushions. _

That was another favorite memory of his as he plopped down on the couch. He laid there and stared blankly at the television, uninterested in wondering why Homer Simpson's face would be on one of their Japanese soapboxes(Mr. Sparkle!), which was a favorite gag of theirs whenever the commercial came on. He heard feet shuffling on the other side of the room. He sat up and looked over the top of the couch. Kari stood there and stared at him, her eyes red and soaked.

"Oh Tai!" she sobbed. "It was horrible! She died so horribly!"

"Who?" Tai asked.

"Sora! I saw it all! I felt it all! It was so painful! She was so afraid!" she sobbed out into her hands. She looked up to him. "She thought of you the entire time." Tai stared at her silently for a moment, trying to figure out exactly what she was talking about. He then stood and walked to her and gently placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Look, Kari," he explained calmly. "She's in a better place now."

"You liar!" Kari screamed. "No she's not! She's trapped here!"

"What?" Tai gasped, taken aback. "How did you…"

Kari pulled away from him. "How could you keep that from us?" she screamed. "You think you're the only one suffering from her death? I've been worried sick about you! We've all been worried about you! We can't believe you haven't committed suicide yet!"

Tai froze, unable to strike back or even console her. She rushed by him, crying loudly, slamming the front door as she left. Tai stared ahead, the shock still there.

She ran down towards the street, crying angry and hurt tears. She knew that she would regret saying that to Tai, but she couldn't face him now. She was upset at her big brother and she was afraid of Sora. The experience of death was still fresh in her mind. An explosion stopped her in her tracks at it ripped up the street. A terrible sound echoed through the twilight.

"It's here!" Kari shouted.

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Tai peered into the room and felt the stale cold seep out. Sora was hunched over, crying into her hands on his bed.

"Sora?" he asked as he stepped inside. "Why are you crying?"

"You're such a jerk," she sobbed.

"Sora…" Tai began.

"STOP!" Sora screamed angrily. A blast of frozen air hit him, freezing him in his tracks. He shivered violently. "You always take me for granted," Sora sobbed. She glared at him. "Do you want me to go away? Is that what you really want?"

"What… who…" Tai stuttered. "What gave you that idea?"

"Don't you dare lie to me!" Sora growled. "Ken and Kari came here with my father, who had his ghost tracking equipment!"

"Ken?" Tai exclaimed.

Sora jumped down from the bed. "They were looking for me, Tai!" Tai tried to back away from her. She glared deep into his eyes. "Why did you talk to Ken about me? I thought you had more respect for me!" She circled around him, keeping her angry glare fixed on him. "I thought you learned your lesson after what happened, but no! Tai Kamiya can't learn anything! He has to make the same mistakes over and over again!"

"Sora…" Tai began.

"And his girlfriend will always be there for him. If something happens to her, he'll just jump in and save her in the nick of time and everything will be just peachy, just like before! But he can't be there all the time! He doesn't know how much pain he caused her!"

"Sora…" Tai tried again.

"He doesn't know how painful her death was or how frightened she was!"

"Sora, please…"

"Or that he was all that she could think of while she was dying!"

"Shut up!" Tai shouted, clasping his hands over his ears.

"Or maybe she's stuck in this Purgatory because of him!" She stopped in front of him. "Did you think about any of that?"

"SHUT UP!" he shouted again. He squeezed his eyes shut and swung his arm, his hand passed through her. He froze when he realized what he did.

"You think that just because I lost my body, I forfeit my feelings and emotions?" she snarled. "I'm not completely dead yet." Tai's body trembled, trying to hold back tears that had already surfaced. His voice was entirely lost, wild fear set in his eyes.

"I…" he managed to force out. Tears flowed uncontrollably. He turned and ran. "I can't take this anymore!" he cried.

Sora's glare followed him and she turned to walk away. She stopped when she heard Tai frantically dig through the junk drawer. That didn't seem right. She stepped out into the hall and looked into the kitchen, but the kitchen was empty. She walked by the bathroom door and saw Tai standing in front of the sink, sobbing heavily. His body shook violently.

"It'll be over soon," he shuddered.

"You're an idiot," Sora growled in a low voice.

Meanwhile, the others had arrived at the scene to fend off the threat that became a reality.

"Flamedramon! Get behind him!" Davis barked orders.

"Davis! Tai's not answering his D-terminal!" Ken said.

"Or the phone!" Matt added.

Kari looked to them in panic then looked away. Her brother was unaccounted for, and she had a sickening feeling of why that was.

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Tai and Sora sat on the bathroom floor and stared at each other. Tai slumped heavily against the cupboard beneath the sink. His achy hands rested on the floor; the warm fluid cooled as it settled into pools.

"Do you even know why I'm here?" Sora finally spoke up.

"To remind me every day of the pain and guilt I feel after causing you and everyone else pain," Tai answered.

"Not even close," she growled. "I'm not your ghost. I'm your angel… your guardian angel." Tai looked up at her, a dazed expression in his eyes. "They knew you would feel guilty after I died, so they sent me to help ease your pain," she explained softly. "At least until you felt that you wouldn't need me."

"Your presence only made my guilt worse," Tai explained. "I thought I was being driven to insanity."

Sora sighed, disappointed. "I guess this was the totally wrong way of helping you deal with such a heavy loss. We should have known."

"At least you tried to help," he said. "All I could do was make it worse for everyone. The night I learned you had died, and ever since then, all I wanted was to tell… to you… how awful I felt and for you to forgive me, or scorn me." Sora listened intently. "You could do whatever you wanted with me, just as long as you could hear my words and act on them. Then I would be all right."

"Oh Tai," Sora whimpered. "You had this entire time to do that. I would have listened."

"Sora…" Tai said tiredly. He fell over onto the floor.

"Tai," Sora exclaimed. She crawled over to him and rested his head in her lap. She looked at his bleeding hands. "Oh Tai," she sobbed. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

"It's not your fault," Tai said calmly, though weakly.

"It is!" Sora cried. "I failed! I failed as a lover and an angel!"

"Hey," Tai heaved. "Don't blame yourself. We both made our mistakes. I was an ass, and we paid for it with our lives. I love you more than anything in the world; I was blinded to that on that night."

"I love you, too," Sora smiled, sad tears formed. "That's why I want to stay."

"Will you wait for me… in Heaven?"

"Of course, Tai," she smiled tenderly. "When you grow old, and live a full life, I'll still wait for you."

"Take me, with you…" Tai trailed. "I want…"

"No Tai. You're too young."

Tai lay peacefully in Sora's lap.

"TAI!" she screamed in terror. She was suddenly engulfed in light. She gasped in pain as a pair of wings shot out of her back. Images of themselves flashed in front of them from childhood to death, and then a blinding light was all that was left.

"Is this it?" Tai asked. "Is this Heaven."

"More or less… of a utopia," Sora explained. "Heaven depends on your view of Earth. Earth can be either Heaven… or Hell."

"I guess I've been forgiven," Tai answered.

And they disappeared in white light.

* * *

BUT WAIT! There's more! Don't go away, there's still one last chapter. Actually, I've got two endings. I'm going to use the happier one. If anyone is interested in seeing the somewhat-happy one, just let me know. I wouldn't mind posting it afterwards. 


	5. Forgiven

AAAAAHHH! I'm back! Oh my god it's been too long! Sorry for keeping you all waiting. Last chapter! Last chapter! I have to finish this! The guilt is driving me insane!

I don't own them.

**Misunderstandings**  
Chapter 5: Forgiven

The light faded out, replaced by darkness. His hands were drenched with a warm, wet ooze. He moved his hands to locate them. He could suddenly see something. It looked like his shoe. He moved his hands again. The image grew again. He realized that his hands were covering his eyes. He moved them away. He saw his feet resting on white linoleum. He cautiously looked up. His friends were sitting in seats against the wall. Some had their head in their hands. Some looked up at the ceiling witharms crossed. But all had one thing in common: all were crying. Remembering what happened, he looked at his hands. They were clean: no blood, no cuts, only tears.

"But I… cut myself…" he mumble frantically. "What's going on?"

He looked around again. This time, he realized that he was in a hospital. Did he die and become a ghost like Sora? Did he have to watch all his friends sit around waiting for the terrible news that he was dead? He felt something touch his shoulder. He looked over to see what it was. His mother looked at him worriedly.

"Are you okay?" she asked. Tai stared at her, bewildered. She could see him and she could touch him. She was interacting with him. If he wasn't a ghost, then what the hell happened?

"Mrs. Takenouchi," a doctor called out. She quickly stood to her feet as the doctor approached her. The others watched them in suspense.

"She's finally stabilized and is making progress," he calmly reported.

"Oh thank God," Mrs. Takenouchi sighed heavily.

Tai was certainly missing something. He couldn't figure out what was happening. But then, he spotted someone limping down the hall towards them. A girl in a hospital gown with a large cast on her arm was painstakingly making her way toward the group. Tai gasped. He couldn't believe that it could have been Sora. As she hobbled closer, he noticed the bandage around her head. Her chest was bandaged and she carried her heavy cast with her other hand. Her arms and legs were horribly cut. Her eyes were dazed, but warm: the warmth of life. She was alive. He quickly jumped to his feet.

"Sora!" he shouted. The rest of the party gasped in surprise when they saw her.

"Sora!" he cried out as he ran to her. They stopped in front of one another and studied each other.

"We've been given a second chance, Tai," Sora said weakly. Tai's fists tightened. His body shook. He bowed his head.

"I'm sorry," he sobbed. He stepped toward her and gently placed his arms around her and embraced her. "I'm so sorry."

Sora closed her eyes and relaxed in his comforting embrace. He cried heavily as he felt her soft, warm, living body in his arms. The others could say nothing. They stood silently and watched Tai and Sora, relieved that they were still together.

"_For once, Tai Kamiya learned his lesson: I never took Sora for granted again. And we also defeated the threat without a hitch, since we were all together. I visited the grave one last time only to find that the grave never existed. That was a relief. I still feel bad. She's scarred for life because of me. But she's still just as beautiful to me. And I love her just as much." _

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Tai lay in his bed as the morning sun shone through the window. He watched the golden new rays of light filter in, making visible the bits of dust suspended in midair. It was going to be a beautiful day today. Perhaps he would go out and play soccer. Or he could simply stay in bed for a while longer. He glanced to his left where he held Sora securely in his arm. She was still sound asleep, snuggled against him. He smiled happily as she glowed in the morning sunlight like the angel she was. He gently traced the long scar that ran down across her sternum: the horrible reminder of his mistake.

"Sora," he breathed softly. She stirred lightly then settled back into rest. He smiled again. This would surly be a beautiful day today.

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"Tai said he was going to play soccer with us today," Davis scanned the field, holding his soccer ball at his side. He sighed as he gave up and approached the others at their picnic site.

"Just enjoy lunch," Kari urged him. She smiled softly at a thought. "I'm sure he has a good reason."

Ken smiled as well, glancing at Yolei as she rested against him.

"He's probably with Sora," Matt snickered.

"I guess you're right," Davis agreed. He grinned and lifted his soda can. "Here's to the crazy life we lead and all the fun to come."

The others glanced at one another and shrugged. They lifted their drinks in the toast.

* * *

Woo. Now I can focus on **Longer, Wronger, and Unadulterated**. 

Hopefully the end doesn't disappoint anyone. I just wanted to reflect the last paragraph of the first chapter in the opposite way. And I just couldn't leave everyone else hanging in the void called 'So Whatever Happened To Everyone Else?' There's really not much else to write after that. Closure!


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